Tag Archives: Dan O’Connor

Ten-term Congressmember Nydia Velazquez will have another run this November, after winning the Democrat primary for District 7, which spans from Lower Manhattan, through parts of Brooklyn and reaches into Woodhaven, where residents had expressed some concern that their district was now a part of neighborhoods with differing needs.

In her victory, Velazquez, who had received an endorsement from Governor Andrew Cuomo, received a little more than 16,000 votes, beating Councilmember Erik Dilan, Dan O’Connor and George Martinez. No Republican candidate is currently listed as running in the district.

Velazquez has served in Congress for nearly 20 years and will run for her 11th term in the November 6 general election.

According to the New York Times, Dilan received about 8,500 votes; O’Connor came in in third with more than 2,200 votes; and Martinez came in last with around 700 votes.

Despite Velazquez’s tenure on Capitol Hill, she had not received much backing from Brooklyn Democrats. Rather, Dilan had received the backing of Vito J. Lopez, chair of the Brooklyn Democrats.

The victory comes after a ballot flub that saw Velazquez’s name incorrectly translated in Chinese on some of the ballots. DNAinfo.com reported the error and that four extra characters made a pronunciation unlike Velazquez’s name. As a result, the news service reported, Velazquez and campaigners tried to notify voters at polling stations.

Current Position: Founder/Chair Global Block Foundation, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at PACE University, Cultural Ambassador for the State Department. Former Democratic District Leader for 51st Assembly District

Personal: Married with one child

Issues:

- No robostamping bills

- End corporate personhood

- Single-payer, Medicare for all

- Increased transparency and responsiveness of government

- Federal oversight on stop and frisk

- Moratorium on foreclosures

- Student loan forgiveness

- Civil liberties

- Marriage equality

- Small business

- Food security

- Campaign finance reform

Platform: We have an integrated approach to community empowerment. It’s a form of a direct action, do-it-yourself democracy model. It is for empowerment recognition. The issues listed are basically and most importantly focused on the economy, community development, securing a social safety net (such as protecting Medicare, health care and public education), getting money and corporate money out of elections and restoring the integrity of our democracy.

Name: Dan O’Connor

Party: Running as a Democrat

Personal Info: Born in Brooklyn to a family of union members. In college O’Connor studied economics and international relations. He moved to China and lived there for six years; from there he learned Cantonese and Mandarin. When he moved back to New York he began a career in renewable energy before seeking office. He has a fiancée named Jennifer.

Issues: O’Connor seeks to end military engagements, cut the military budget substantially, work hard to pass term limits, and get government out of personal issues. He will also be a community voice against stop and frisk and hydrofracking, local issues that he thinks put the people of his district at risk.

Platform: His platform is that of an outsider wanting to make a difference. He thinks big money in politics has corrupted government and the people in it so they do not lead a nation, but instead they work for corporations. He thinks we have made too many enemies and have lost far too many lives and too much money in wars we don’t need to be involved in. He pledges to only take half of his salary and only run for four terms if elected.

Name: Nydia Velazquez

Party: Democrat

Current Position: Congressmember

Personal Info: Lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn

Platform: Velazquez looks forward to returning to Congress to finish much of the work she has invested her time in for the past 20 years.

Velazquez has been a leader on a variety of issues, ranging from advocating for greater access to and distribution of small business loans to community owners, marriage quality, immigration reform, strong environmental laws and opposing the assault on seniors by attacking Medicare and privatizing Social Security.

In her time in Congress she has fought against big insurance companies and with President Barack Obama for quality, affordable health care for every American.

She has worked for jobs legislation and on extending unemployment benefits for those hit hardest by the economic downturn.

Velazquez stood up to defend women’s access to reproductive and preventative health care, and has fought tirelessly for affordable housing.

As the child of sugar cane cutters, she was able to use education as a road to greater opportunities in life. As a result, she believes in supporting our public schools and better funding for the schools, teachers and students to ensure our children have the best chances in and out of the classroom.

Velazquez also believes that comprehensive immigration reform is vital to both our economic security and our national security. As an immigrant, and the representative of a Congressional district that has immigrant communities from all over the world, she is a steadfast supporter and proponent of immigration policies that allow people to live and work in this country without persecution and that helps our national economy by putting people to work.